As Bishop's Lynn, the town thrived as a port on the River Ouse, growing prosperous in the 15th century through the wool trade and other trade with the Continent; a Flemish influence is apparent in the town squares. When Bishop's Lynn became royal property, the name was changed to King's Lynn. Although part of the old center was rebuilt in the mid-20th century, enough still remains of its Georgian town houses, guildhalls, and ancient quayside warehouses (including the 15th-century Hanseatic Warehouse on St. Margaret's Lane) to make this one of the most English of English towns.
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